Mareela
Mareela was a Ga-Matoran who later became a Toa and joined the Toa Kotulsis. History Early History Similarly to most other Ga-Matoran, Mareela began her life on Spherus Magna. For a number of years, she aided in the early construction of the Matoran Universe with no worldly desires or true consciousness. After a considerable period of heavy labor, she was placed on Metru Nui, alongside a significant population of other Matoran. She endeavored to carry out her purpose by maintaining her settlement to ensure the continued functionality of the Great Spirit. Shortly after the successful launch of the Matoran Universe, Mareela gained true sentience due to Velika's tampering with the Matoran species. Although she continued her original task, Mareela was imbued with emotions and became self-aware. Mareela, In Ga-Metru, found work as lab worker, where she worked with various substances in Ga-Metru labs. She was one of the first Matoran to suggest studying the web of the Silver Chute Spider. While working there, she met another Ga-Matoran there, named Cyrax, whom she disliked as a result of their competitive career and conflicting personalities. They were often rivals in many things, like jobs or competitions. Mareela's life as a Matoran was otherwise mostly uneventful, until a decision made by a Toa named Arinwey declared they would select several Matoran who would become new guardians for the city, as it was somewhat lacking in this area. Mareela was one of the few Matoran selected, based on her nature and her history. She was selected alongside Calorrid and Kielor. They both joined the ranks of the city's Toa team, joining the two Toa already guarding the city: Vitdura and Lumys. Life as a Toa Around 91,000 years ago, Mareela encountered her first major trial as a Toa with the arrival of the Kanohi dragon in Metru Nui. Along with the rest of her Team, she fought the dragon and defeated it. They sealed it in an undersea cave, blocking the entrance with a thick layer of ice with the help of Kielor's ice powers, and Vitdura's ability to absorb heat. 76,000 years ago, Mareela became part of the Brotherhood of Makuta's army that ended the reign of the League of Six Kingdoms. Also recruited into the army was Kielor. The other Toa stayed behind to guard Metru Nui. There, she personally became acquainted with Toa Adrastia. During the Time of the Matoran Civil War, Mareela supported the Ta-Matoran side in the war, in fact, she was one of the main factors in Ga-Metru joining the side of the Ta-Matoran, (along with a Ga-Matoran named Darlex) being one of the Toa representatives for Ga-Metru. However, she was called away before the war got out of hand and was ended by the Makuta. During her absence from Metru Nui, she traveled to Voya Nui, where she tracked down and killed a strange Rahi Fusion of an Ash Bear and a Furnace Salamander. She theorized its origins, but was unable to identify where it had come from or how it had fused. After recuperating from the fight, she traveled back to Metru Nui and was shocked to discover the brutal end to the Civil War, specifically the Archives Massacre. Afterwards, she was even more horrified to learn the War was affecting Mata Nui's health. Sometime after this, Mareela was tasked with transporting several Matoran from Metru Nui to ensure their safety while traveling. Among these Matoran was a Vo-Matoran whose gleeful aggressiveness and intelligence reminded Mareela of herself. During the trip, the two got very well acquainted and became quite close. When Mareela had dropped off most of the Matoran she was transporting, however, they got into a situation where the area was populated with Nui-Jaga, and the young Vo-Matoran wanted to go exploring. Mareela warned the Matoran of the dangers of the area, but was eventually unwisely convinced that it would be okay, due to her liking of the Vo-Matoran and her enthusiasm. The Vo-Matoran eventually stumbled into a cave where a horde of Nui-Jaga resided. A lone guard attacked, and Mareela was forced to intervene. She saved her companion from a blow from a stinger, shoving her aside and appearing to take the blow herself. However, Mareela had activated her Kanohi Uaun, allowing her to turn into water vapor, and the Nui-Jaga stinger to impale itself in a rock. Mareela quickly dispatched the scorpion and they fled from the cave. Afterwards, both Mareela and the Matoran acted more cautiously, with it impacting Mareela strongly. The young Matoran was safely delivered to her destination. Precisely 70,000 years ago, Mareela was sent, along with a small regiment of five other Toa, to assist in the siege of a fortress that had been overtaken by a rogue marauding group of Skakdi. The fortress, a vestidge of the League of Six Kingdoms occupation, had been reinforced and re-outfitted. Their goal there was to aid the Matoran already present trying to defeat them. As soon as Mareela and the other Toa arrived, they initiated a strike on the fortress, which was initially unsuccessful, as they had underestimated the Skakdi's strength. They were relatively easily repelled, with minimal damage to the fortress or their enemies. Re-evaluating their strategy, a Toa on their team proposed a second strike, soon after the first, but bigger. He pointed out several strategic weaknesses in the construction of the fortress, as well as noting the undermanned defenses and suggested they target them. The rest of the Toa, Mareela included, agreed and launched another attack, which was successful in disabling most of the forts automatic defenses and destroying vital parts of the building. They swiftly overturned the Skakdi control of the Fortress, and decided to demolish the fort. The Matoran they were aiding took the stone and any other resources they could and re-purposed it. At some point, Mareela grew weary of the bureaucracy that pervaded Metru Nui and the manipulation and power plays that often came with it. Thus, she made a difficult decision and left the stability of her home, wandering the surrounding regions. Around 56,000 years ago, Mareela was attacked by a lone Toa named Cyrene. They engaged in combat, with both being evenly matched, with Mareela's efficiency being matched by Cyrene's ruthlessness. However, when Mareela slowly began gaining the advantage, Cyrene halted their duel usong her iron powers and asked for peace. Cyrene revealed that she was the protector of a small village of Matoran refugees from other cities and she had sworn to protect them. However, she could not risk getting herself killed, and so she had to end the fight. Cyrene made Mareela swear to keep the village a secret, and the two parted ways as allies. After this, around 52,000 years ago, Mareela became lost in an expanse of desert on the Southern Continent. She grew dehydrated,and attempted to use her water powers to keep herself alive, but eventually grew weary from this and a lack of food and rest. She collapsed, and was on the verge of perishing when she was rescued by a golden-armored Toa of Iron who she later learned was called Orokul. He merely transported her to nearby village of Po-, Fe-, and Vo-Matoran before he disappeared. Mareela wanted to thank him, but didn't get the chance. Following this series of events, Mareela vowed to be better equipped and more self-sufficient, and started carrying a sack of things she might need, something uncommon because Toa never usually went far from Matoran villages or or other Toa. At an unknown point in time after this, Mareela served as an escort and bodyguard for an important Turaga who needed quick and anonymous transport, receiving a rare Kanohi as payment. Around 29,000 years ago, Mareela became stationed in a large Matoran city on the southern continent with her former teammate Vitdura. After a brief while, they became romantically involved, and decided to travel around the surrounding area. After wandering and helping for some time, they came across a fledgling Toa team, the Toa Kotulsis, and decided to stay with the team. Around 27,500 years ago, A Toa of Lightning named Zasere passed by, but asked to join the team, as she had been traveling for quite some time. She was accepted, and became a member. Sometime before 26,000 years ago, they assisted in the evacuation of a Matoran village, which was caused by an incoming Rahi stampede. The village received only minor damage from the stampede, although several buildings did have to be repaired. 25,500 years ago, a strange Toa-like being arrived near the building the team was using as a headquarters, badly wounded. They brought the being inside, and Rezan set to work healing her, with his tools and a spare mask of healing he possessed. When he was finished, the being did not awaken, and instead remained comatose for several weeks. When the Toa-like being did awaken, she started to ask where she was. When they told her, she disappeared shortly afterwards, with all members of the team being baffled about it. Around 21,000 years ago, a member of Mareela and Vitdura's old team from Metru Nui went on a journey to track his teammates down, with the help of a Toa of Fire. The two Toa, Kielor and Calorrid, eventually followed a trail and ended up joining the members of Kielor's old team. Roughly a year later, the Toa of Iron who had rescued Mareela, Orokul, having heard word of the budding Toa team, decided to join simply because he had nothing better to do. At this point, Karo decided that his team was large enough and to not allow any new members into it. Schism Eventually, 1,653 years ago, Orokul grew dissatisfied with the way the team's leader, Karo, was running things. Among his concerns were the fact that the Toa Kotulsis were usually very idle and spur-of-the-moment-heroes, without any real goals or affiliation. They only reacted to threats, rather than achieving things or helping Matoran. Orokul wanted to ally themselves with another Toa team he knew was close to them, but Karo refused his proposal, wanting to keep the control of the team he created within the team and not with others. Orokul didn't press the issue, but it did ignite a simmering resentment between him and the Fa-Toa. After several more months, Orokul demanded again that changes be made, appealing for the support of the other members of the team, the majority of whom initially were not with or against any particular side in the argument, not really being sure which way would be better. Eventually tensions grew until a fight broke out between Karo and Orokul, dueling each other to a draw. This led to the splitting of the team into two. Orokul, along with Calorrid and Zasere, left and formed a new Toa Team called the Toa Aonalgin. All members of the team had various reasons for leaving or staying. This event left the Toa Kotulsis with only six members. Mareela in particular was embittered by the team splitting in two, and withdrew into herself and became reclusive and unfriendly for several years. When she eventually stopped, however, she was not the same, being more harsh and unreasonable. Most of the rest of the team were affected much less severely. To be added... Alternate Versions Core Universe In the Core Universe, as Arinwey had never existed, Mareela was not selected to be transformed into a Toa, and as such, remained as a lab worker in Ga-Metru. She continued working, and was working on her Silver Chute Spider web project, although she made little headway. Frustrated and ignored, she abandoned the project, although it was eventually discovered by another Matoran, who decided to continue her work. Mareela eventually decided to take up the stereotypical Ga-Matoran occupation of a teacher, where she taught physics and chemistry, notably to a certain Ba-Matoran who would later become a Toa. When the Great Cataclysm occurred, Mareela was placed in a Matoran sphere, along with every other Matoran in Metru Nui. However, in the disaster, the cluster of spheres that held her pod was the victim of a landslide, resulting in her sphere being lost. Upon the rest of the Matorans return, her pod was rediscovered and reopened. Toa Empire Universe In the Toa Empire Alternate Universe, Mareela became a Toa shortly after Tuyet's takeover, by means of an encounter with Energized Protodermis. Believing it to be her destiny, she quickly became an enemy of the Empire, and began leading a rebel movement in Metru Nui. However, she was quickly captured, and imprisoned underneath the Coliseum, being among the first of prisoners and trophies to be placed thus. During the Battle of the Coliseum, Mareela was freed by invading forces, and assisted them in securing the rest of the Coliseum. Mareela became one of the small number of non-corrupted Toa who helped to heal the Matoran Universe and train new Toa. Abilities and Traits Mareela is a veteran Toa who is very adept at controlling her element. She is gruff, fitting her long history, but does have a soft spot for enthusiasm and wit. She also has a strong sense of justice, and has a tendency to form long-lasting grudges. As a novice Toa, she was often very energetic and destructive, although her long years have suppressed these aspects of her personality. When she wore her Kanohi Uaun, she had gained such a degree of proficiency with it as to merge it's powers with her elemental powers, enabling her to regenerate any parts of her that had been destroyed, and to travel quickly through multiple substances, including any water or air, without a physical form. However, as she now wears a Mask of Conjuring, this ability was mostly lost. As a Toa of Water, Mareela had near-perfect control over water. As such, at a basic level, she could create, control, and absorb water and moisture. Examples of this included manipulating water at will, creating and stopping floods and currents, and extracting moisture from the atmosphere. Due to her proficiency, she could do this much quicker and easier than the average Toa. Powers and Equipment As a Ga-Matoran, Mareela had mostly inaccessible elemental water powers, which manifested as an increased lung capacity. Upon, becoming a Toa, she gained full access to and control over her water powers. Mareela wears a Mask of Conjuring shaped as a Volitak. It gave her the power to briefly program a power into the mask. She formerly wore the Kanohi Uaun, Mask of Sublimation. It allowed her to transform any part of her body into water vapor, and was equipped with a telescopic lens. She also carries a small sack, which she uses to carry around materials like food, medicine, or other small objects. Mareela wields a Mace, which is made out of Protosteel. Forms Trivia * Mareela's original Toa armor is just a revamp of her original prototype form. * Mareela is one of Windfall's oldest and most popular MOCs. Category:Toa Category:Toa of Water Category:Ga-Matoran Category:Water